I ran across an old email message from one of Jerry's kids. With the Supreme Court decision and Bobby Darin's birthday both happening this week, I thought some might enjoy reading this tribute to the Curmudgeon...

Ed, PR Ed, and all un-Eds:

Perhaps like many of Jerry's Kids, I am at moments speechless and ot other times just ready to kick a wall over the thought of The Ultimate Curmudgeon being snatched from our physical and electronic midst.

I second the idea of all picking a day of solidarity to applaud his memory and remind us of all the unfinished business he'd be ranting about to us if he had a shot at one last email from up in heaven. Rather than a 2000 NWIWC apron, I think I'd opt for wearing a classic "Have you had your glass of
red wine today?" buttons. He once sent me about two dozen, and I was careful not to give the last one away.

There's really no way to sum up Curmy's impact on all of the Kids, let
alone on the wine industry. I can add a few notes, however. First of all, I remember first meeting Jerry about 10 years ago, after his first wrestling bout with serious illness. It was at the Sonoma County Wine Auction (back when they had just one), at a picnic at Chateau St. Jean. He was sitting, quite pale in fact, apparently too weak to be up and around much. He told
me he had lost all of his ability to taste due to the treatments. But by G-d there was a tenacious sparkle in his eye. He had won that round. And perhaps the energy he applied to wine and work carried extra oomph thanks to his beating the devil that time.

As years went on, I always admired Jerry's indefatigability. He was persistence personified. He tired of making the same truth-driven arguments over and over and over and over again. Because he knew that it wasn't
enough to be right. You also have to fight to convince everyone else to get on board.

I am not alone in considering Jerry to be one of the most important forces behind the wine and health movement. I am glad he lived long enough to see real success on that front, despite the continued ATF shenanigans that he
so regularly skewered in The Wine Trader. My biggest regret is that he didn't live to see the day when the Supreme Court knocks down all the direct-shipping restrictions that he had railed against to widely and intelligently over the past few years. So when that day does come, we'll all have to make our collective toast to TWC really really loud.